How to Keep Your Business Data Safe from Hackers

Last Updated on April 8, 2016

As more businesses appear online, opportunities open up for hackers. Fortunately, there are ways to keep your business safe and secure from criminals.

Hackers can cause mayhem and destruction in a matter of minutes, which can harm business productivity and company morale. Whether it’s one computer or an entire network, once these criminals have access to a company’s data they can do quite a bit of damage in a short period of time. Seemingly mundane and secure tasks, such as browsing the internet and opening up emails, can put you and your computer at risk. Computers and mobile devices that have been secured with the latest programs and protection against hackers will greatly reduce the risk of an attack.

Hackers and Your Business

Almost any business is prone to an attack from a hacker. Unfortunately, smaller businesses are a greater target than larger ones. This may be because many small businesses lack the necessary funds and expertise to keep their computers and networks up to date and secure against hackers.

One of the biggest threats to modern businesses is unsecured mobile devices. Many businesses rely on such devices throughout the day, but devices that are not secure may serve as an open invitation to criminals. These devices enable hackers to easily infect the device with malware, which allows them to collect important personal information such as usernames and passwords, banking systems, and business networks.

For businesses with customer accounts stored on their computer or mobile device, the damage and subsequent recovery can be quite frustrating and time-consuming. The Ponemon Institute, an agency that helps to track data related to digital privacy and security, estimates that it can cost approximately $194 to recover a single compromised customer record after an attack. If several customer records have been compromised, recovery expenses might rise tremendously.

Protecting Against Hackers

No matter what size the business is, an attack by a hacker, virus, or Trojan can have lasting consequences. Fortunately, there are many ways to keep your personal information and company data safe from such attacks. One of the most preferred ways to safeguard your PC is by installing a malicious software removal application which targets all forms of Trojans and malware.

One of the most promising defenses against modern hackers is data encryption. By encrypting data, a company is adding an extra layer of security to their information. This is especially important in businesses that deal with highly sought after materials, such as health records. Health records, particularly those that belong to high-profile patients, are prime targets for hackers. Such records can be very lucrative when they are sold to tabloids that constantly look for the biggest and best news about celebrities.

Another option is to look into software that tracks the movement of data to a place that is normally forbidden. For example, if a hacker is attempting to copy information from your company in Florida but you are based in New York, the data will be illegible to the potential thief.

It is also crucial to train staff members to keep information they regularly handle protected and safe. This a simple action that can help to significantly reduce exposure. This may include locking customer records and keeping passwords as strong and confidential as possible. Staff members should also be trained how to handle a data breach, if one occurs.

Keeping Company Computers Secure

One of the most effective ways to keep company computers secure is by protecting computers from viruses and Trojans. This type of software helps to detect any viruses or Trojan. Once a possible threat has been detected, the program acts quickly to prevent an attack by disarming or removing any viruses or malicious programs.

A computer virus or Trojan can take over a computer in a matter of minutes, causing lots of damage and loss of important information. Although it is possible to recover from such attacks, the time spent fixing the computer and restoring lost files can add up. Many computer viruses aim to interfere with the computer by disrupting operation or by recording, deleting, or corrupting data. Such attacks can also be spread to nearby computers and throughout entire systems.

It is essential to keep all operating systems updated by installing the latest security upgrades. In addition, all staff members should make sure that their computer is equipped with an anti-virus program, and that it is on and running at all times. Any updates should be made to ensure that the computer is capable of thwarting an attack.

Hackers can cause a lot of damage to a business in just a matter of minutes. Whether the crime involves stealing personal information, such as social security numbers or credit card numbers, or information such as health care records, these losses can be devastating to a business of any size. The chance of such an attack can be greatly reduced by keeping computers up to date and by taking measures such as training staff members to be careful with confidential information.

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Posted by:James Edwards

James has been associated with the IT industry for the past 5 years. He is working as a tech support specialist in NYC. Besides system troubleshooting, he loves to write articles related to computer security and educates people about cloud antivirus softwares in order to keep their PC safe from malware and viruses.